Coal planer having energy storing means to relatively drive cutting elements



Dec. 12,1967 w. HEYER 3,357,744

COAL PLANER HAVING ENERGY STORING MEANS TO RELATIVELY DRIVE CUTTING ELEMENTS Filed Sept. 8, 1965 INVENTOR: WILL Y H E YE R ATTORNEYS 7 United States Patent Office 3,357,744 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 Filed Sept. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 485,758 7 Claims. (Cl. 299-34) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Coal planer device having energy storing means thereon operatively connected with the cutting tools so as to intermittently drive the cutting tools in addition to drive imparted to the planer device as a whole. The energy storing means is a flywheel connected to the cutting tools by a hydraulic system, which flywheel is intermittently driven by means unconnected with the planer device.

This invention relates in general to mineral winning apparatus for extracting coal and other minerals from long wall mine faces, and more particularly to a mineral winning apparatus having a base means adapted for movement back and forth along a mine face, one or more cutter means carried by the base means and disposed for extractive engagement with the mine face to remove mineral therefrom by the combined action of cutting induced by the base means movement and cutting induced either by simultaneous rotary or vibratory movement of the cutter means relative to the base means, and means for imparting such rotary or vibratory motion to the cutter means.

It is known in the prior art to provide coal Winning machines for the winning of coal by scraping or cutting methods with an additional drive for the cutting tools which impart a rotary or ramming vibratory movement to them. Because of these additionally powered cutting tools, such winning machines are also suited for the mining of harder coal deposits.

The subject of the invention is a coal winning machine of this type, which is distinguished in particular by the simplicity and functionalism of its design.

One of the novel features of the apparatus of the invention lies in the feature that an inertial energy storage means in the nature of a flywheel or gyro drive means carried by the base means is used for effecting the rotatory or vibratory ramming movement of the cutting tools.

On account of the relatively high rotational speed of the flywheel associated with its rotatory kinetic energy storage function, high frequency vibratory tool movements can be readily achieved. Because of the availability of such high frequency vibration energy for operating the cutting tools, the coal winning apparatus of the invention can be used for mining even the hardest coal deposits.

An additional advantage results from using a rotating flywheel to supply the cutting tool driving energy, in that because of the gyroscopic effects of such a flywheel, there is considerable resistance to the upsetting of its rotation axis. Consequently, a winning machine according to the invention will therefore twist much less easily out of the coal face than would a conventional coal winning machine without such gyro stabilizing action.

A column of hydraulic fluid is preferably used for the transmission of energy from the rotating flywheel to individual or all of the cutting tools. The rotating flywheel can, by means of a cam or an eccentric member or the like, set into vibration such a hydraulic column which in turn drives the cutting tools.

In addition, the flywheel itself can be provided with a slight mass imbalance which induces a superimposed auxiliary vibratory motion into the entire winning apparatus, so that its friction between the floor and the long wall conveyor is substantially reduced. Alternatively, a pair of equally imbalanced flywheels can be mounted to the base means for synchronous rotation about parallel axes, with the mass imbalances of such flywheels being arranged in relation to each other for imparting a superimposed auxiliary vibration to the winning apparatus in a selected plane. In all other planes, the inertial forces of the two wheels will cancel one another.

The mass imbalance in either one or both of such flywheels can be adjusted, preferably by hydraulic means, by changing its radial distance from the axis of rotation of the flywheel involved. The vibrational forces which occur as a result of the rotation of such a flywheel, and which inherently depend upon the speed of rotation, also vary in magnitude with the effective distance of the mass imbalance from the axis of rotation. The hydraulic means used for effecting such selective mass imbalance adjustment can be operated in response to the flywheel rotation speed, such that the effective radial position between the imbalance and the rotation axis involved is maintained inversely proportional to flywheel rotation speed.

It is expedient to provide a steplessly variable speed ratio transmission, preferably automatic and adapted to be driven by a motive means, for imparting rotary motion to the flywheel to maintain it at a selected level of rotational kinetic energy. Hence, in the apparatus of the invention, the flywheel is used as a gyro motor which can be recharged whenever required by the motive means via such a transmission.

This motive means can be either stationary with respect to the movement of the base means, or can be mounted thereto for movement therewith. In either case, an adjustable speed ratio transmission is preferably provided, because it is desirable to be able to couple driving power into the flywheel at any time during its operation, regardless of the extent to which its rotation speed decreased as a result of energy released to drive the cutting tools. Furthermore, it should not be necessary to stop the flywheel in order to recharge it with kinetic energy.

According to the invention provision is made for recharging the flywheel at either one or both ends of the base means movement path, and to minimize the time for each charging operation and the acceleration requirements therefor, a flywheel having an appropriately large kinetic energy storage capacity is used.

When a stationary driving system is provided for charging the flywheel, it is best to provide the coal winning apparatus with clutch parts on the front, and preferably also with a guiding sleeve, so that the coal Winning apparatusat the end of its travel along the coal face engages a drive shaft of the motive means for recharging the flywheel. Such a drive shaft is preferably mounted elastically or resiliently so as to minimize the effects of shock loading resulting from clutch engagement. If desired, the clutch used for flywheel recharging can be of the automatically operated type.

The motive means for charging the flywheel can expediently include either an electrically powered motor, or a compressed air motor. The invention also contemplates charging the flywheel by means of power derived from a traction means which effects the longitudinal movement of the base means. This can be done, for example, by providing pulleys on the base means of the winning machine that are driven by moving cables or by cables stretched between fixed points. With such an arrangement, the charging of the flywheel is preferably performed at such times when the longitudinal movement of the winning machine is temporarily halted, or at times when the power required for effecting such longitudinal movement is relatively low, as in cases where softer coal strata are encountered by the cutting tools.

By pw dins du li co n n h n s nt ruption of coal extraction for the purpose of recharging the flywheel can be avoided, since one coal winning machine can be pulled along the mine face and the other along the waste side of an associated long wall conveyor, such that at all times, while one machine is under way and winning coal, the second machine can be stopped and recharged.

Of eourse, by providing the coal winning apparatus with a built-in compressed'air motor together with an air turbine, charging of the flywheel can beperformed whenever required without the need for cyclical operation of two coal winning machines.

If desired, additional cutting tools, such as for example, one or more rotary cutters, burrs, saws and the like for slitting the coal face, tearing down overhanging coal, etc. can be driven by the energy of the flywheel.

As can be appreciated from the foregoing, the coal winning apparatus of the instant invention utilizes a flywheel supported by a movable base means and disposed for rotation relative thereto about a predetermined axis as a rotary kinetic energy storage. A motion conversion means, such as for example, a cam and follower combination, is operatively connected to the flywheel for converting the rotary motion thereof into reciprocating vibratory motion, and a hydraulic transmission means operatively connected to the motion conversion means and to the cutter means is provided for imparting the vibratory motion from the conversion means to the cutter means to effect mineral extraction.

This motion conversion means can be relatively simple, such as for example a cam operatively connected to the flywheel for rotation therewith and a follower member operatively connected to the hydraulic transmission means and disposed for operative engagement with the cam member to translate the rotary motion thereof resulting from flywheel rotation into a reciprocating vibratory motion useful for transmission to the cutter means.

If desired, the flywheel can be provided with a mass imbalance to impart a superimposed auxiliary vibratory motion to the entire winning machine, including the base and cutter means, in order to reduce the effective frictional resistance to the longitudinal movement of the base means and to aid the cutting action of the cutter means.

By providing a second flywheel supported by the base means and disposed for rotation relative thereto about an axis parallel to that of the first flywheel, and in synchronous relation therewith, a superimposed auxiliary vibration can be imparted to the winning machine in a predetermined plane, such plane being established by the relative arrangement of the mass imbalances of the two flywheels.

In general, it can be stated that a motive means of some sort, such as for example, one including a compressed air motor or an electric motor is necessarily provided for imparting the required rotary motion to the flywheel. Preferably, the rotary power transmitted to the flywheel through a 'steplessly adjustable speed ratio transmission, so that a selected level of kinetic energy can be maintained in the flywheel, and so that the flywheel kinetic energy can be replenished as required without the need for either cation of the invention, the motive means and/ or transmistion to any particular sll fid range,

Depending upon the ex pendiencies of a particular application of the invention, the motive means and/ or transmission used for supplying kinetic energy to the flywheel, or flywheels, as the case may be, can be either stationary, or carried along with the base means.

Where a stationary flywheel recharging arrangement is adopted, the motive means can be disposed in a predetermined position with respect to the longitudinal movement path of the base means for selective coupling thereat either to the flywheel through a stationary transmission, or through a transmission carried by the base means and connected to the flywheel. Such coupling can be expediently effected by a clutch, preferably of the automatic type.

It is therefore, an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for extracting coal and other minerals from long wall mine faces.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus as aforesaid which features a combined scraping and vibratory cutting action for more effective winning of hard coal deposits.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus as aforesaid wherein the energy for vibratory cutting action is derived from a self-contained, rechargeable kinetic energy storage means.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus as aforesaid which is stabilized against the action of mineral winning reaction forces.

A further object of the invent-ion is to provide an apparatus as aforesaid which is capable of operating additional cutting tools from power derived from the same kinetic energy storage means used for operating the vibratory cutting tools.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawing which shows schematically a rear elevation view, partly in section, of a coal winning apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the coal winning apparatus A is provided with a base means 1, similar in structure to the body of a long wall mining planar, and adapted for longitudinal movement back and forth along a mine face F.

At least one, and preferably a plurality of cutting tools 7 are supported by the base means 1 and disposed for extractive engagement with the mine face F to remove mineral therefrom. These cutting tools 7 are somewhat similar to ch-isels, and in the preferred embodiment shown are mounted in batteries or sets at both ends of the mine face side of the base means 1. The rear end of each cutting tool 7 fits piston-wise into a cylinder 8 drilled into the base means 1, with suitable returning means and retaining means (not shown) being provided to prevent unintended removal of the cutting tools 7 and to maintain a neutral position thereof. All of the cylinders 8 are connected to a common manifold passage 9, which in turn is flow connected to a master cylinder 10 in which a piston 11 moves. The portion of the cylinder 10 unoccupied by the piston 11, the manifold passage 9, and the cylinders 8 are filled with hydraulic fluid so that the cutting tools 7, which are in effect pistons, can follow the movement of the piston 11 in the cylinder 10. Thus, by imparting a reciprocating motion to the piston 11, the cutting tools 7 can be made to execute a corresponding vibratory movement with respect to the base means 1.

Energy for effecting the vibration of the cutting tools 7 is derived from a flywheel 3 which is supported by the base means 1 for movement therewith, and disposed for rotation relative thereto about a predetermined axis, preferably a vertical axis. For safety reasons, the flywheel 3 is preferably enclosed within a housing 2 which can be expediently provided in the form of a chamber within the base means 1.

The piston 11, which in the embodiment shown functions as a follower, is driven by a cam 12, such as for example an eccentric cam 12 which is either fastened directly upon the flywheel shaft 4 or on a shaft coupled thereto.

As can be appreciated from the drawing, the piston 11 and cam 12 function as a motion conversion means connected to the flywheel 3 for converting the rotary motion thereof into a reciprocating vibratory motion. The bydraulic fluid within the cylinder 10, passage 9 and cylinders 8 acts as a hydraulic transmission means for imparting the vibratory motion from the motion conversion means to the cutting tools 7. Thus, the coal winning apparatus effects mineral extraction from the mine face F by the combined action of cutting induced by the movement of the cutting tools 7 with the base means 1 and cutting induced by the simultaneous vibratory movement of the cutting tools 7 relative to the base means 1.

'In the schematic illustration of the drawing, only one set of cutting tools 7 is shown as being provided with a driving system defined by the cylinder 8, hydraulic fluid, passage 9, cylinder '10, piston 11 and cam 12, it being understood that the other set of cutting tools 7 mounted on the other side of the base means 1 can be either operated by a duplicate drive system, or provided with a hydraulic fluid passage similar to the passage 9 and flow connected therewith so that both sets of cutting tools can be driven simultaneously by the single drive system shown.

Preferably the stationary motive means is disposed at the end of the base means 1 travel path, so that at the end of a mineral extraction pass, the flywheel 3 can be quickly and temporarily coupled to the motive means for kinetic energy recharging while the base means 1 is stopped preparatory to initiating a mineral extraction pass in the opposite direction.

As can be appreciated by the artisan, additional cutting tools 16 such as for example rotary burrs, saws, etc. can be mounted to the base means 1 for movement there with and for extractive engagement either with the mine face F or with the mine roof (not shown) and driven by any suitable means (not shown) from the rotational energy of the flywheel 3.

What is claimed is:

'1. Coal planer comprising a base means thereon adapted to win coal from a mine face; relatively movable cutting tools carried by said base means; means for moving said base means back and forth along said mine face and to maintain said cutting tools in contact with said mine face; a high-speed flywheel mounted on said base means, transmission means operatively connecting said flywheel to said cutting tools; and disengageable means on said base means operatively connected to said flywheel adapted to intermittently engage relatively stationary motive means separate from said base means whereby to impart rotation to said flywheel and thus store kinetic energy therein which stored kinetic energy is adapted to intermittently actuate said transmission means and thus intermittently drive said cutting tools in addition to the drive imparted to said cutting tools by said moving means.

2. Planer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flywheel is connected to said cutting tools through hydraulic power transmission means.

3. Planer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said flywheel is operatively connected to a cam and wherein the main piston of said hydraulic means is a cam follower.

4. Planer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cutting tools are resiliently mounted in cylinders in said base means which cylinders are termini of said hydraulic means.

5. Ilaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cam is mounted on said flywheel shaft.

6. 'Planer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said disengageable means is a shaft coupled to said flywheel extending beyond said base means and adapted to disengagingly engage flywheel drive means off said base means.

7. Planer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said flywheel is eccentrically weighted.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,182,374 12/1939 Dumble -93 2,654,586 10/1953 Berry 299-14 X 2,690,903 10/1954 Sloane 299-34 3,235,311 2/1966 Hagenbook 29934 X FOREIGN PATENTS 717,033 10/ 1954- Great Britain.

ERNEST R, PURSER, Primary Examiner,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,357,744' December 12, 1967 Willy Heyer It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, lines 65 and 66, for Ycation of the invention, the motive means and/or transmistion. to. any particular speed range." read--'- stopping the flywheel or restricting the recharging operation to any particular speed range.

Signed and sealed this 31st day of December 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attc ing Officer Commissioner of Patents 

